Does the Wii U feel like the future of gaming? Or at least a step forward? GE's Youtube link got me ponderin'.

Although the graphics don't seem to have advanced very far beyond 360/PS3, I personally think that it does feel 'next-gen', due to Miiverse, the general Gamepad implementation, and fresh, novel games like Luigi's Ghost Mansion. I'm honestly not sure whether a Watch Dogs demo-level presentational enhancement alone would trigger that sensation for me.

I'll admit that it could be possible that I'm conflating novelty and progress here, but who cares, really? Even if the movement ends up somewhat lateral, like with motion control on the Wii, I NEED that movement to stay engaged with gaming. Shooting people in increasingly more realistic environments doesn't do it for me anymore. IMO

Hmm, now I wanna do a roundtable about which games of the last generation felt truly new and interesting...

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@anon_mastermind

Ten four. I didn't start it however I'll be happy to stop. Contrary to some people's opinions I genuinely enjoy discussing games here.

Thank you, now let's get back on track. I'm sure Pikmin 3 will have some Miiverse integration, as will every first party game. So you'll get to experience it soon enough. And even when games don't implement Miiverse in the game's code, you can still head to the communities based on said games, and converse with others who've shared your experiences.

@Zero

I LOVE BREATH OF FIRE. STOP MAKING ME THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT BY WRITING "BREATHE."

--Cronos, the Trigger man on the Greek Mythos is great. His Tale is a Symphony of mishaps.
Icarus was just a Kid when he flew too close to the sun, you know. The Skies of Arcadia were his Final Fantasy.

anon_mastermind said:

Thank you, now let's get back on track. I'm sure Pikmin 3 will have some Miiverse integration, as will every first party game. So you'll get to experience it soon enough. And even when games don't implement Miiverse in the game's code, you can still head to the communities based on said games, and converse with others who've shared your experiences.

I've read about Miiverse but haven't used it yet. Explain to me in idiot terms why it's so revolutionary, because by just reading about it it seems like relatively standard stuff... leaderboard integration, being able to post notes, discuss games, etc. But everyone seems to love it so something must be getting lost in translation.

What is it?

@Oldmanwinter

Its there (like a message board) that you can go to when you want to, but it also highlights some of the "best" messages as soon as you turn your thing on. Think about if you got an email every morning highlighting the trials of NW the night prior? Also, when you're playing NSMBU, you get to a level, and it says "OldManWinter: I love Mario Bros!" or something. Its pretty neat, though simple.

And you can DRAW.

EDIT- Also, I'm not sure if other people feel it, or care, but..everyone seems SO HAPPY on there. If overmoderation is what it takes to have the "air" smell like cotton candy, I guess thats the trick. Its not sterile, just overly joyful in the best possible way. (If you ask me..)

@Oldmanwinter
It's a combination of those things, the ease of use due to the gamepad, and the fact you can personalize messages by using your stylus to draw or write. Really, I think one needs to experience it to really understand why it's cool. It's not revolutionary, but it is progressive for video game consoles.

Edit: right, how could I forget: Miiverse is your home screen. When you turn on the TV you see your Mii, your friends' Miis and other Miis all huddled around talking about different games. It's really something else.

@Oldmanwinter

I think it's just the integration of it with the games and how it's a social network FOR gamers and not just a social network by itself. You can easily find people to play with, talk to, share tips, etc. Sure it might not be revolutionary since we can all do that on a computer but it's the simplicity of accessing it while playing a game that works so well. NSMBU will often tell you to share your accomplishments via Miiverse and a neat touch is that every post is tagged with the level you just played on. Go into Miiverse, tap that level and it'll show every post that's also been tagged with it. It can be useful if you're having trouble with secret exits or finding all 3 coins. It's basically Twitter remade by Nintendo.

Yeah, it's a little bit like trying to explain what's so fantastic about twitter to someone who says "why would I do that instead of just e-mail?" or "post on a message board?". It is limiting and its appeal isn't immediately obvious but once you use it, you get hooked (or not).

Ease of use and immediate access go a long way. I thought my earlier story perfectly demonstrated that but I guess not.

Another Nano Assault anecdote: I've been near the top of some of the leaderboards so I went ahead and posted a few simple tips on the Miiverse. People have been "liking" the post, so I get to feel all hunky-dory, people get to learn how to play better and are appreciative, the leaderboards get more competitive... everyone wins. And you can't overstate how goddamn easy it is.

@Oldmanwinter I think the main parts to it are:

A. It's quick and easy because of the touch pad controller. Typing out messages in games using standard controllers is frustrating. Here you can either "type" quickly using a touch pad keyboard, or just write a freeform message using the stylus.

B. It is worked into the games themselves. So I'm playing Mario and getting stuck on a stage, I don't have to go to Gamefaqs, I can right there click and get tips / etc. I can also post directly from the game about the spot I'm at, etc.

C. You can use it on the controller without even having to get your ass out of bed. Or being tethered to the TV. So I can check my messages / etc. from various places in the house (wish the range was longer though), etc.

There is more to it, but that's the quick stuff.

So really, unless Microsoft also has a touch screen controller thingy, I think they can only really steal part B, and the controller is kind of essential to the experience. People aren't going to sit around typing out messages in games to a significant degree if they have to use a standard controller to do it. I mean, it's technically possible of course, but... would it catch on in the same way?

There is also the whole "how would Microsoft moderate" it thing which is a whole other issue. Because really, I'd lose interest fast if I had to deal with tons of penis drawings and getting called a homosexual and such. I know that is kind of a cliche about the XBLA experience, but the one time I watched my cousin playing Live, I... it was a huge turn off. The language is insane. What would be the compromise?

So it's basically a social networking site built specifically around the Wii U, with players able to chat, share tips, scores, etc without having to grab a tablet or computer?

I can see that, and specifically how the touchscreen makes that interaction work on a level Live or PSN can't. Unless you have a keyboard or a tablet attached to your console sharing anything other than snippets of voice is impossible.

Anyhow sounds cool. And I apologize to anyone who took offense to my comments (though really they were more questions than anything). I'll be buying a Wii U before Pikmin 3, and as of right now it's the only console I plan on buying so you all will be seeing plenty of me come Spring:)

@Oldmanwinter

Though obvious enough, this is definitely a greater experience due to the tablet's functionality outside of the TV. You can fire it up without having to use the TV at all if you want and check up on what your friends are doing. I've already found myself a few times just wanting to pop into Miiverse and check up on the activity feed for my friends (if you don't want to friend anyone specific, you can still follow up to 1000 users) and replies to my posts. It's a really great feature but much like your other post, I did find myself thinking that the competition could easily copy this.

Miiverse also has some good humour to it, fantastic art to look at, etc. Funny game pics, funny stories, funny doodles, etc. Advice, questions, etc.

Developers can also have a piece of the action (Tezuka is on there) and it feels like a very cohesive community. One pretty devoid of any drama. It's gamers helping gamers, people having fun, etc. It's a very infectious community.

You can PM people with doodles and pics as well.

To be honest, it's still a bit too limited for me since all of the communities are linked to games / applications but you can't start your own community. The day we can create a "Negative World" community on Miiverse... oh man. Make it happen, Nintendo!

Still, I have fun with it.

carlosrox said:

Miiverse also has some good humour to it, fantastic art to look at, etc. Funny game pics, funny stories, funny doodles, etc. Advice, questions, etc.

Developers can also have a piece of the action (Tezuka is on there) and it feels like a very cohesive community. One pretty devoid of any drama. It's gamers helping gamers, people having fun, etc. It's a very infectious community.

You can PM people with doodles and pics as well.

Someone is advertising!

@Zero
This this this.

@Mr_Mustache
lol naw, I don't even like my Miiverse art. It seems better for people used to heavy ink style art. Not good for more animation leaning artists I think. The stuff other people manage on there is pretty crazy. If I had more room I could do better, I'm not a good artist when it comes to limited space. I can't be contained. Whenever I do something on Photoshop I'm always working beyond the initial constraints. Thank god I can extend the canvas indefinitely.

So yeah, OTHER art on Miiverse is just fantastic.

@carlosrox

Don't sell yourself short, you do a lot of great stuff on there. I know thats "the thing to say," but you do quite well.

I've always done my coloring separate from inking so miiverse is going to take some getting used to.

So... I've never been less excited buying a new game console as I was with the Wii U. From the day it was announced to the moment I was walking out of the store with it, my attitude was simply "this is the price of admission to keep playing Nintendo games, and I sure love Nintendo games."

Now after spending some time with it, my attitude is much more positive. I like the gamepad... it makes a game like ZombiU a much more interesting game, and I'm sure that is barely scratching the surface of what some clever designers will come up with. The coolest thing about the Wii U is just how many gameplay opportunities there are on the console.

I do wonder what will happen when Sony and Microsoft enter the race, however. There is a rumor that Microsoft is working on an "innovative controller" to go along with Kinect 2 with their next machine, which I think is just great... and Sony has to also realize by now that they may be putting themselves in a precarious position if they don't also do something special with the PS4. What happens if one of them manages to outshine Nintendo on specs and a clever gimmick? Could get interesting...

Yes, I feel the Wii U is next gen, for many reasons. Mii Verse, using the controller in new innovative ways, due to the screen that's included. Also, being able to use the controller as my tv's remote. Also, the hi def. graphics which have not graced any of Nintendo's previous consoles. It doesn't matter if other consoles have had HD graphics for 6 and 7 years, this is NIntendo's next gen console AND the WII U starts off the next generation of gaming, regardless of what type of arguement PS3 fanboys or Xbox360 owners might try to use to make everyone thing that the Wii U isn't really next gen.

Just as with the Wii, people said it wasn't true next gen. Those people are wrong. Seriously, people need to get their heads out of their asses and learn that graphical upgrades is not what the next generation is based upon in today's world. Back in the mid 80's to the late 90's and even into early 2000, the next generation of gaming was primarily based on graphics. In today's world technology has expanded past graphics. And yes, there is room for graphics to improve, but we'll never see the AWE factor again, like when going from the NES-SNES or N64- Gamecube.

I love the feel of the Wii U's gamepad and all it has to offer and I am actually more impressed by the gamepad than I initially thought. I say this cause back when the Wii was being introduces, I was intrigued by motion controls, but I was never really excited by them. Once the Wii was launched and years started to pass, I still felt the same way about motion controls before the system ever launched. Meaning, I was never like OMG, motion controls are going to totally change the way we play games. Motion controls added depth, more choices to the way one can control a game. In some cases motion control was outstanding, like in sports games like Wii bowling to games like Resident Evil 4, which played much better using the Wii's new controller.

Also, at least for me, one of the reasons I never got into fps games was cause those games(at least for me) are tough to control. I know there are people who disagree with me, but hey, thats the way it's supposed to be, meaning, some people think dual analog is the way to go, where as I prefer the pointer function when playing these games. Then there is those who still prefer the mouse and keyboard setup. Now, I'm not here to argue that pointer controls are superior to dual analog or vise versa. Maybe when you get down to the actual tech results, maybe dual analog is best. But, even if that was to be 100% true, I still perform waaay better using the Wii's setup when playing fps games.

Basically, I am agreeing that the Wii was progressive as well, w/ the introduction of motion controls, the miis also helped further that progression. I do feel that the Wii U is even more progressive than the Wii, even though we have not seen a ton of games using the Wii U's gamepad in new cool progressive ways, games like ZombI U(which I LOVE btw) are a step in the right direction. I feel more and more third parties will embrace the Wii U much moreso compared to the Wii.

@Guillaume
Nah I don't have a Wii U yet, my only experience playing it is at Nintendo World where of course there is no Miiverse active. Anyway, I'm not arguing the value of Miiverse, it seems incredibly cool, and yes "progressive", but there a other things about the Wii U online that seem "regressive" to me, like the lack of a 1st party voice chat solution, the lack of online multiplayer in major titles like Nintendo World or NSMBU, lack of a system wide achievement system, the lack of communication between the 3DS (you should be able to have one unified friends list, unified achievements, share street passes, seamlessly share Miis, play the same VC games, etc.), and the absolute death nell (IMO) is that the system still owns your games, and not you. To me that's the biggest thing that shows me that Nintendo still doesn't understand online and digital culture in general. When I buy a book on my Kindle, I can read it on my phone or my iPad or my computer, I own it, the same goes when buying games on Steam, 360, or PS3, you can load those games onto other systems no problem, I could buy 12 Vitas or PS3s and never have to worry about transferring my games, they're mine. This is a HUGE deal to me, because in the early days of Wii I lost about $100 worth of VC titles due to my Wii melting down and destroying itself (thanks Wii Connect 24), when I sent my pristine white Wii in for repairs it came back in two weeks as a dirty, scratched-up refurbished unit and I lost all my content and all my game saves, when I called Nintendo customer service they said that the 3rd party repair people were supposed to transfer my data and there was some mix-up and that my games were un-recoverable, they basically told me to fuck off. That was like 2007 and I know that since then they have made improvements and can restore you games if your console is broken or stolen, but I still don't trust them. So say what you will about Miiverse being the most futuristic thing ever, maybe it is, great, but the fact that you don't own the games you buy is like the digital stone ages, it's the exact opposite of progressive, IMO.

@Jargon
Hmm... are achievements really that labor intensive? Never heard developers complaining about them before... seems like it would be incredibly easy to implement, just a few lines of code, and their going to be doing it for Xbox and PlayStation anyway, not sure what you're basing this idea on that the quality of games suffers under the burden of adding something so simple, maybe you've read/heard things I haven't, but to me it seems like achievements are incredibly popular on the other systems, and popular features help sell games, and developer like selling games.

But here's a thought, make them optional, give developers the option not to include them as a feature, like Street Pass. Many developers, like Retro, already add achievements to their games. The ones who feel like you do, that it's entirely too much work and will detract from the quality of their game, can just not do them, and then gamers can decide if it's important to them or not when making purchasing decisions.

@Mr_Mustache
Because I don't care about e-Penis but I love trophies. This is an age-old argument though and no one is going to change their minds, we've all been around the barn too many times on this one. The roundtable was about how we "feel" though no? So it's subjective, and my subjective opinion is that Wii U feels less "progressive" due to missing some key online features. I completely respect your opinion that these features may not matter, but to me they do. It's not a deal breaker of course, just something I wish Nintendo would get with the times with.